Urbanization Process Research Articles

Analysis of urban management information technology systems: Ubiquitous City, Smart City, Metaverse, and Digital Twin

ABSTRACT Cities worldwide are rapidly integrating urban management information technology (IT) systems to address increasing urban challenges effectively. This paper examines the evolution of these systems, from the Ubiquitous City (U-City) to contemporary Smart Cities, and explores emerging technologies like the Metaverse and Digital Twin. Despite their growing relevance, there is ambiguity in their conceptual definitions and how they are applied interchangeably in urban management contexts. This study aims to clarify these technologies by analyzing U-City, Smart City, Metaverse, and Digital Twin within an Analysis Framework of Urban Management IT Systems. Our analysis reveals distinct roles and interconnections among these technologies. U-City initiated the development of essential IT infrastructure, laying the groundwork for subsequent systems. Smart City technology, leveraging the infrastructure provided by U-City, addresses real urban issues but lacks predictive capabilities for future challenges. In contrast, the Metaverse facilitates the simulation of urban changes and planning in a virtual environment, influencing real-world city development. Digital Twin technology enhances the operational efficiency of U-City and Smart City by simulating real-world data and optimizing urban management processes. The study highlights that while U-City and Smart City function in the tangible realm, Metaverse and Digital Twin operate in the virtual domain, yet they are closely integrated. Metaverse assists in urban planning through simulations that inform real-world Smart City designs, while Digital Twin optimizes real-time city operations and informs Metaverse simulations for future planning. The findings underscore the importance of understanding these technologies’ unique contributions and their interplay. Although current urban management IT systems have limitations, especially in technology classification and data accessibility, this research paves the way for future investigations. Further research should focus on refining the definitions and applications of Metaverse and Digital Twin, clarifying their relationships with Smart City and U-City, and addressing security and privacy concerns associated with these technologies. Highlights U-City, Smart City, Metaverse, and Digital Twin are urban management IT technologies U-City is the most basic infrastructure for real-world urban management IT systems Smart City as an IT solution categorizes real urban issues to resolve them Metaverse and Digital Twin predict urban issues in advance in the virtual world U-City, Smart City, Metaverse, and Digital Twin related are interconnected

Transcending the urban–rural dichotomy: inequality in urban green space availability among urban neighbourhoods, urban villages and rural villages in Guangzhou, China

ABSTRACT Urban green spaces (UGS) are integral to sustainable urban development, yet the urbanization process has resulted in unequal distributions of green resources across different neighbourhoods. In Chinese cities, there are three primary types of neighbourhoods with different socioeconomic features – rural villages (RV), urban villages (UV), and urban neighbourhoods (UN). They usually have different green space availability, posing challenges to environmental justice. However, the Green space inequality concerning neighbourhood types has not yet been fully explored. Drawing on the case of Guangzhou, we examine inequalities in UGS availability among these three types of neighbourhoods. We first explored the inequality in UGS availability among UN, UV and RV by employing the Gini and Theil indices and then used the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model and the SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) explainer to elucidate the intricate association between neighbourhood socioeconomic statuses and UGS availability from a local perspective. Our findings indicate that UN and UV have similar levels of inequality in UGS availability, which is more severe compared to RV. Neighbourhoods with high population density and sufficient job opportunities in UN and UV, as well as those with low housing prices, low-salary and low-educated jobs in UN and RV, are suffering from UGS inequality. This study unveils the spatial disparity of UGS inequality among different types of neighbourhoods, providing insights into equal green space planning and contributing to environmental justice.

Insights into Landscape Structure Change in Urbanising Rainforest and Guinea Savanna Ecological Regions of Nigeria.

In the face of unabated urban expansion, understanding the intrinsic characteristics of landscape structure is pertinent to preserving ecological diversity and managing the supply of ecosystem services. This study integrates machine-learning-based geospatial and landscape ecological techniques to assess the dynamics of landscape structure in cities of the rainforest (Akure and Owerri) and Guinea savanna (Makurdi and Minna) ecological regions of Nigeria between 1986 and 2022. Supervised classification using the random forest (RF) machine-learning classifier was performed on Landsat images on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, and landscape metrics were calculated with FRAGSTATS to assess landscape composition, configuration, and connectivity. The results reveal a consistent pattern of urban expansion in all four cities at varying intensities. The proportion of the built-up class exhibited positive correlations with the largest patch index (r = 0.86, p < 0.05) and aggregation (r = 0.39, p < 0.05), indicating a concurrent rise in landscape densification as urban expansion persists. For the agricultural and vegetation landscapes, landscape proportion correlates negatively with fragmentation (r = -0.88, p < 0.05) and connectivity (r = -0.77, p < 0.05), but positively with aggregation (r = 0.89, p < 0.05). The increased patch density indicates a rising magnitude of landscape fragmentation and heterogeneity over time with varying implications for ecosystem functioning. These findings demonstrate the complex interplay between urbanisation and ecological processes within and across different ecoregions, highlighting the need for targeted ecological management, sustainable urban planning, and regionally informed landscape conservation strategies.

Reading an adaptable urban form: Exploring the morphological patterns of the Iranian traditional bazaar

ABSTRACT In order to keep pace with the speed of the new era, modified patterns from the past can help generate faster and more reliable solutions, along with new ideas in the urban design process. Meanwhile, the urban traditional forms serve as a valuable knowledge source, offering guidance for contemporary designers. Iran's traditional bazaars represent urban complexes with a history dating back to the formation of cities. Endowed with both physical and functional flexibility, these bazaars have grown and evolved, enduring long lives to reach the present age. This article delves into the reasons behind the adaptation ability of these historical urban complexes employing the morphological method. The analysis focuses on the bazaars’ structure, anatomy, and diversity. Consequently, the established physical patterns of Iran's traditional bazaars unveil the key to their remarkable resilience against various physical changes over time. The results derived from this research can help better preserve these historical phenomena as they face the threat of isolation every day. Additionally, lessons from these adaptable patterns hold relevance not only for the bazaar's future but also for urban design within the Iranian context and beyond.

The lived experience of class cleansing: reshaping sense of place in a gentrified neighbourhood

ABSTRACT Gentrification is a capitalist urban transformation process whereby working-class residents are progressively replaced by wealthier ones, affecting the people-place bonds of those who manage to stay. In a process known as class cleansing, new cultural codes reshape the urban landscape redefining class identities. Drawing on this argument, we explore everyday class experiences in the gentrified neighbourhood of El Poblenou (Barcelona) conducting a reflexive thematic analysis attuned to discursive dynamics through 22 walking interviews. We develop three themes. The first theme examines the relation between class identities and the neighbourhood’s economic model. The second addresses commercial displacement. The third investigates the (re)creation of iconic spaces. Results reveal participants’ diverse and ambivalent experiences of place, catalysed by the blurring of El Poblenou’s working-class identity, and how residents manage their sense of place. We offer a critical social-psychological approach to examining the spatial arrangement of everyday socioeconomic inequalities.

Research on the Urban Village Renewal Mechanism Based on Rent Gap Theory: A Case Study in Xi’an, China

Urban renewal is a critical approach to address issues such as the scarcity of urban spatial resources and infrastructure aging in the later stages of urbanization. Urban village renewal is one of the typical practices of urban renewal. Based on China’s unique dual urban–rural land system and urbanization process, this study localizes the rent gap theory. It applies the modified rent gap theory to conduct a case study on Wangjiapeng Village in Xi’an using the process-tracing method. It explores the internal mechanisms of urban village renewal and the key factors influencing the progress of renewal projects. The findings reveal that the size of the rent gap directly determines the attractiveness and timing of urban village renewal. However, issues such as interest conflicts, administrative redundancy, and government supervision during the renewal process significantly increase transaction costs, raising the rent gap threshold and thereby affecting the progress and outcomes of the renewal. This paper proposes a rent gap theory that is more suited to China’s context and further expands its applicability through case study research. The practical experience of Wangjiapeng Village provides important policy implications for other major cities in China and cities currently in the late stages of urbanization.

Exploring Bare Ownership Supply of Housing in Urban Environments

Europe faces a situation where housing represents the main savings for most of the population, while the majority of homeowners are seniors aged over 65. The desire to supplement pensions has led to a growing interest in generating income from these savings, with bare ownership emerging as a notable option. This solution makes it possible to transfer the ownership of the home while maintaining usufruct rights for the duration of the owner’s lifetime. This paper examines the status of bare ownership in the city of Rome by web scraping the house offers published on web portals and segmenting those offered as bare ownership. Machine learning analysis based on neural networks and binary logit regression allows for the observation of the particular behavior of the housing supply in bare ownership; it shows the different intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics that determine this Real Estate segment. The findings highlight the development of a growing market strongly influenced by the location of assets. These findings provide valuable insights for both investors and urban planners regarding changes in urban dynamics processes.

Automated Tree Detection Using Image Processing and Multisource Data

This paper presents a method for the automatic detection and assessment of trees and tree-covered areas in Katowice, the capital of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region in southern Poland. The proposed approach utilizes satellite imagery and height maps, employing image-processing techniques and integrating data from various sources. We developed a data pipeline for gathering and pre-processing information, including vegetation data and numerical land-cover models, which were used to derive a new method for tree detection. Our findings confirm that automatic tree detection can significantly enhance the efficiency of urban tree management processes, contributing to the creation of greener and more resident-friendly cities.

Application of Nighttime Light Data Simulation Based on Multi-Indicator System and Machine Learning Model in Predicting Potentially Suitable Economic Development Areas: A Case Study of the Turpan–Hami Region

In recent years, the accelerated urbanization process in China has led to increased land resource constraints and unregulated expansion, imposing significant pressure on ecosystems and the environment. As a critical node along the Silk Road Economic Belt, the Turpan–Hami region has experienced rapid urban development under policy support but faces challenges in resource utilization efficiency and sustainable development. To address these challenges, this study innovatively combines nighttime light remote sensing data to quantify urban economic development intensity and integrates socioeconomic and natural environment indicators based on previous research. Four tree-based ensemble learning models—Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), and Categorical Boosting (CatBoost)—were employed to predict potential urban economic development suitability zones and their suitability intensity. The results show that the CatBoost model performed the best in suitability prediction, revealing significant spatial disparities: high-suitability areas are concentrated in regions with superior resource conditions and well-developed infrastructure, whereas areas with terrain constraints and inadequate infrastructure exhibit lower suitability. An analysis of changes over historical periods (2010, 2015, and 2020) demonstrates a gradual expansion of high-suitability regions over time.

Trends and Drivers of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in India: A Decadal Analysis (2010-2020)

This paper analyses trends and determinants of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in India in 2010-2020, the decade with some of the fastest economic growth rates and the increased awareness of environmental issues. The research pays attention to India, the world's third-largest emitter of GHG, which will be analysed regarding emissions in four sectors: energy, industry, agriculture, and waste management. A time series analysis of data drawn from national and international agencies, such as the World Bank and India's Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, was applied in this study. Statistical analysis and data visualisation were performed using the R software. The key findings show an increase of 42% in the total emissions of GHG over the last decade, with the energy sector dominating at 68% in 2020. Other significant contributors were industry (20%), agriculture (9%), and waste (3%). Growth in population, along with accompanying urbanisation and industrial expansion, is cited as the main factor responsible for emission rise. However, there are also indications of decoupling between growth in the economy and emissions intensity. The study analyzes the greenhouse gas emission trends for major emitters between 2010 and 2020, in India. The dynamic panel data model analyses indicate signs of decoupling of emissions from economic growth in developed economies and the role of renewable energy and carbon pricing. Research findings further indicate that stronger climate policy and investment in clean energy is the necessity to decrease global emissions.The paper identifies policy issues that require strong activity in enforcing efficiency measures, fastening the shift toward krenewable sources of energy, and effective sustainable planning and waste management practices in urbanisation processes. In that respect, examination of policies like the PAT scheme and promotion of electric vehicles has shown where more aggressive implementation may be seen as necessary to ensure India's climate commitments. This elaborate decadal review finds most of its utility within the framework of policy designing for sustainable development and climate change mitigation by policymakers and stakeholders in the Indian scenario.

Expectations of the older people from housing in the context of aging in place: the case of Afyonkarahisar City (Türkiye)

Many countries around the world are witnessing a period of significant demographic changes. As a developing country, Türkiye is also experiencing a rapid aging and urbanization process. Changes in Türkiye’s population structure have caused the country’s population to face the phenomenon of aging. According to the United Nations (UN), the ratio of the population aged 65 and over to the total population worldwide has increased from 6% in 1990 to 9.8% in 2022. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data, while the older population rate in Türkiye is 9.9% in 2022, the older population rate in Afyonkarahisar is 11.8%. This study aims to determine the expectations of individuals aged 65 and over regarding their housing in Afyonkarahisar city center from the perspective of aging in place. It is also one of the few studies that examine the relationship of individuals with the environment and space in the context of urban aging and aging in place. Various hypotheses were formed for the research. To test these hypotheses, a questionnaire was applied to 374 older adults in the sample area determined in the city. In the study, explanatory factor analysis and difference tests were used to examine the factors affecting the housing preferences of older adults. According to the factor analysis results, the dimensions determining the housing expectations of older adults include housing facilities, housing size, housing type, toilet and bathroom use.

Sustainable Landfill Site Selection in Urban Areas: Case Study of Millenium City in India

Landfills remain the predominant approach to managing solid waste in urban settings due to their cost-effectiveness, particularly in developing nations. In this regard, landfill site selection is a serious issue in the urban planning process because of its implications for the economy, environment, ecology, and public health. Municipal Corporation Gurugram records indicate that the city alone generates solid waste of about 1100 metric tons per day. The city's growing urban population and rapid expansion as a commercial and financial center presented numerous waste management difficulties. Existing studies lack comprehensive integration of multi-criteria decision analysis and GIS technologies for landfill site selection in rapidly urbanizing cities like Gurugram. In the present study, multi-criteria decision analysis and GIS technologies are used to identify suitable sites for landfills, considering most environmental factors. With the rate of population and settlements increasing, it is suggested that the landfill site serve for at least 20 years. In accordance with the regulations outlined in the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016, a meticulous process was undertaken to identify and prioritize the ten most crucial criteria for evaluation in prescribed methodologies. The study's conclusions could help municipal planners and waste management authorities create an effective solid waste management system that takes into account all possible advantages and disadvantages.

Intergenerational trends in body size among Moscow's young adults: socio-demographic influences of the 20th century.

This study aimed to investigate the influence of socio-demographic and epidemiological factors on the secular changes in body size indicators (height, weight, and BMI) among young adults aged 17-22 years in Moscow from the early 20th century to the present. Published average anthropometric data from screening surveys conducted from 1880/1925-26 to 2020-21 were analysed (4,823 males and 5,952 females), along with demographic data from the Federal State Statistics Service of the Russian Federation. Findings revealed consistent anthropometric trends and strong associations between secular changes in body size of Moscow youth and socio-demographic indicators such as population size, life expectancy, and infant mortality rates. An increase in height and weight was noted against the backdrop of urbanisation, increased life expectancy, and reduced infant mortality. These results indicate that the urbanisation process and the transformation of the epidemiological landscape in 20th-century Russia - marked by enhancements in public health, modernisation of the healthcare system, and medical advancements - have had a significant impact on changes in body size across generations. Notably, from the mid-20th century onwards, with the exception of the final decade, conditions favourable to growth and development were established, culminating in a significant increase in definitive anthropometric parameters across successive generations. The findings underscore the imperative for policymakers to bolster investments in urban development, healthcare, and education. Such strategic investments are essential for sustaining and amplifying the positive physical development trends witnessed.

Procedural justice for whom? A case study of a densification project

ABSTRACT Realising just and equitable pathways to urbanisation is a major challenge in urban research and practice. Environmental justice literature outlines approaches for just distribution and meaningful public participation by including and recognising different groups of residents. Despite institutionalised support for just procedures in urban planning, citizens do not necessarily perceive outcomes as just and inclusive. This paper aims to understand and critically examine procedural justice in the urban development process in a marginalised neighbourhood in Malmö, Sweden. We use the theories of procedural justice and communicative planning to provide a layered assessment of procedural justice. The overall findings show critical discrepancies between institutionalised and perceived justice. The legal guidelines are vague and lack consistency in implementation from the city’s point of view. This in turn weakens citizen influence in public participation. Additionally, this case reveals novel tensions in operationalising procedural justice during the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper concludes that even if there is a mandatory requirement for participation with affected groups of citizens, planners must represent various interests, and procedural justice is not being operationalised. Just development and transformation of the urban environment requires further unpacking of the interaction between the official, the applied, and the lived dimensions of procedural justice.

Analysis of Coupled Coordination and Driving Factors of Urbanization, Ecosystem Services, and Human Well-Being in the High and Coarse Sediment Yield in the Middle Yellow River

The ecological and social problems brought about by China’s rapid urbanization process threaten sustainable development. Taking the cities with high and coarse sediment yield in the middle reaches of the Yellow River as the research objects, this study constructed a complex analytical framework composed of urbanization, ecosystem service value (ESV), and human well-being (HBW) subsystems. The equivalent factor method (EFM) was used to evaluate the ESV. The entropy weight method (EWM) and the comprehensive nighttime light index (CNLI) were adopted to assess the level of urbanization and human well-being. Then, coupled coordination degree (CCD) and grey relational modes were developed to reveal the level and major obstacles of synergistic development. The results showed that, from 2000 to 2020, urbanization, ESV, and HWB increased. The average value of CCD grew from 0.34 to 0.56, with higher coordination levels in the northeast and south. The coordinated development is influenced by multiple factors, with the intensity of the driving factors decreasing in the order of industrial structure, population quality, economic drive, government regulation, and scientific and technological support. The results indicate that it is essential to formulate differentiated regionally coordinated development strategies and establish cross-regional cooperation mechanisms to achieve interactive urban economic development, ecological protection, and well-being improvements in the middle reaches of the Yellow River.

Examination of spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of carbon emission and influencing factors in territorial spatial functional areas: a case study of the mountainous city Chongqing.

The rapid development of China's economy and the acceleration of the urbanization process have led to a significant increase in carbon emissions, and more effective policies are urgently needed. As the first city in China to be approved for the overall master plan of territorial space, Chongqing is facing new opportunities in urban construction. This research constructed a classification system of the territorial space functional areas in Chongqing (CQ-TSFA) and matched the corresponding carbon emission and carbon sequestration projects. Under this classification system, the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of its carbon emissions have been examined, and the main influencing factors have been investigated based on the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model. This study draws the following conclusions: (1) from 2000 to 2020, the carbon emissions of CQ-TSFA increased from 48.87 million tons to 148.05 million tons; (2) the main expansion areas of urban living sub-areas are the central urban area and the vicinity of the seats of various district and county governments. The main expansion areas of the urban production sub-areas are the edges of the central urban area around the Yangtze River Basin within Chongqing, including many industrial parks; and (3) the contributions to carbon emissions in descending order are economic development effect, carbon emission intensity of CQ-TSFA, and population size effect, and the utilization rate of CQ-TSFA plays a strong inhibitory role. Finally, based on these conclusions, this article puts forward some policy suggestions to address the challenges of carbon emissions to provide references for promoting the sustainable development of Chongqing and the whole country.

A Broad Learning System With Feature Augmentation for Soft Sensing of Urban Wastewater Process

A Broad Learning System With Feature Augmentation for Soft Sensing of Urban Wastewater Process

Modeling urban pollutant wash-off processes with ecological memory.

Urbanization increases the extent of impervious surfaces, runoff, sediment, and nutrient loadings downstream, leading to the deterioration of urban surface waters. During pollutant wash-off from urban surfaces, the peak concentration of pollutants typically occurs after the rainfall peak. However, current urban wash-off models do not consider this time delay, assuming that the effect of rainfall on the wash-off process is immediate. Ecological memory (EM) is defined as the capacity of past states or experiences to influence the present or future ecological responses of a community ecosystem. In this study, ecological memory was calculated to reflect the lagging impact of rainfall on the wash-off process. Incorporating ecological memory into the original wash-off model improved its performance across all pollutant types and rainfall conditions, with the adjusted R-squared value increasing from -0.01-0.61 to -0.08-0.83. Among the factors impacting ecological memory, rainfall intensity significantly affected the distributions of ecological memory (p<0.05 according to the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test). The first flush phenomenon, which involves a larger concentration or mass of pollutants in the initial portion of a storm event compared to the rest, showed no significant difference in the distributions of ecological memory between rain events with and without this phenomenon. The improved urban wash-off model can be applied for real-time simulation of urban pollutants and help develop site-specific measures for reducing urban nonpoint source pollution.

Analysis on Carbon Emission and Peak Forecasting of Urban Industrial Zone Renewal Process in China Based on Extended Kaya Identity

Analysis on Carbon Emission and Peak Forecasting of Urban Industrial Zone Renewal Process in China Based on Extended Kaya Identity

The impact of urbanization in China on influenza incidence across neighboring cities

ObjectivesAlthough the relationship between urbanization and influenza has received increasing attention, previous studies have often examined this relationship based on single indicators, neglecting the multi-dimensions of urban development and their integrated impact on influenza incidence in neighboring cities. MethodsA multidimensional urbanization evaluation framework was developed based on social, economic, and ecological dimensions to comprehensively assess urbanization. Then, we analyzed the impact of urbanization development on influenza incidence within and across cities using Bayesian spatiotemporal models and spatial Durbin models. Regional heterogeneity analysis was performed to investigate the impact of urbanization on influenza incidence within cities. ResultsFrom 2014 to 2019, there were 5,062,254 influenza cases in 283 prefecture-level cities in China. Each standard deviation increment in comprehensive, social, and economic indexes of urbanization was associated with a 14.9% (95% CI: 6.1%, 24.3%), 9.9% (95% CI: 3.5%, 16.3%), and 13.4% (95% CI: 4.5%, 23.7%) increase in influenza incidence, respectively. The effects of urban development on influenza incidence varied significantly across regions, with the greatest impact found in southern China. Additionally, a significant positive spatial spillover effect of urbanization was observed on influenza incidence in surrounding cities. ConclusionsUrbanization and its various dimensions were linked to increased risk of local influenza incidence, which also showed substantial positive spatial spillover effect to surrounding areas. During the rapid urbanization process in China, local governments should prioritize equity and accessibility in healthcare services and strengthen the coordinated prevention and control of influenza epidemics across cities.